Studies indicate that the presence of certain levels of formaldehyde in urine can serve as an indicator of cancer in the urogenital system such as, for example, bladder cancer and prostate cancer. See, e.g., Spanel P, et al., Analysis of formaldehyde in the headspace of urine from bladder and prostate cancer patients using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry, Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom., 1999; 13; 1354-9. The increase in formaldehyde levels is likely the result of certain cancer cell types that produce an elevated concentration of formaldehyde in the region surrounding the cell. Testing for the presence of formaldehyde can be accomplished by testing a liquid urine sample directly or by testing the vapor over a liquid urine sample, sometimes referred to as headspace testing.
Various methods have been formulated for detecting formaldehyde in urine. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,617 describes a multistep procedure that includes at least a ten minute mixing step and a period for reagent preparation of at least 24 hours. Techniques involving canines (Willis C. et al., Olfactory detection of human bladder cancer by dogs: proof principle study, BMJ 2004; 329), mass spectrometry (Spanel P, et al., Analysis of formaldehyde in the headspace of urine from bladder and prostate cancer patients using selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry, Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 1999; 13; 1354-9), and flourimetric analysis (Short L., Selective measurement of HCHO in urine using direct liquid-phase fluorimetric analysis, Clin. Chem. Lab. Med. 2005; 42(2); 178-182) have also been described. Unfortunately, these methods include time consuming steps requiring specially trained personnel to perform and otherwise require resources or equipment not readily available to many care providers. In addition, it appears that each of these methods require collection of a urine sample from a patient. Such may not be practical in circumstances involving children, incapacitated patients, or the elderly.
As such, a need currently exists for a simple technique for detecting the presence of formaldehyde in urine. A technique that can be easily and quickly conducted in real time without the necessity of expensive equipment would also be beneficial. A technique that can be integrated into personal care products designed to receive and contain urine would also be particularly beneficial.